The promulgation of wireless technology has facilitated access to networks such as the Internet at virtually any location. Devices such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and other portable computing devices are provided with the capability of accessing a variety of wireless networks, such as cellular broadband networks, Wi-Fi hotspots and wireless local area networks (WLANs). Accordingly, users are increasingly relying on their devices to consume high bandwidth applications and data, such as streaming video, while traveling from one location to another.
However, when a traveling user encounters an area with little or no wireless connectivity, such as a “dead zone,” the user's device may be disconnected from the wireless network. As a result, the user's experience is negatively impacted by the loss of service. In addition, the typical solution of adding new communications towers to extend network coverage in the “dead zone” has the problematic effect of added costs and delayed network availability.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for improvements in extending network coverage.